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Shortness of breath
Shortness of breath might not be anything to worry about, but sometimes it can be serious and you'll need to get medical help.
Immediate action required:
Call 999 if:
You're struggling to breathe or you have sudden shortness of breath and:
your chest feels tight or heavy
you have pain that spreads to your arms, back, neck and jaw
you feel sick or are being sick
You could be having a heart attack or a problem with your lungs or airway.
Call 999 immediately as you need treatment in hospital.
Non-urgent advice:
See a GP if:
You have shortness of breath and:
it's lasted longer than a month
it gets worse when you've been active
it gets worse when you lie down
you've been coughing for 3 weeks or more
you have swollen ankles
It's important to get medical advice to make sure it's nothing serious. You're not wasting anyone's time by getting it checked out.
Causes of shortness of breath
Shortness of breath has lots of different causes.
Common causes include:
asthma
a chest infection
being overweight
smoking
a panic attack
But sometimes shortness of breath could be a sign of something more serious, such as:
a lung condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
scarring of the lungs known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
heart failure
lung cancer
Any treatment you may need depends on what's causing your symptoms.
Do not try to self-diagnose the cause of shortness of breath – always see a GP.
Information:
Coping with shortness of breath
If you know what's causing your shortness of breath, you can get advice about things you and other people can do to help.
British Lung Foundation: breathlessness
Supporting someone with breathlessness website: advice for family, friends and carers of people with COPD or cancer
Page last reviewed: 20 October 2020
Next review due: 20 October 2023
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